With one social media blast and a very hyped SDCC panel, HBO unveils another remarkable "Watchmen" trailer. “Tick-Tock,” as they say, doomsday is coming.
Released nearly two months ago, the previous teaser gave fans only a fraction of what Damon Lindelof has in store for the series. Based on the post-future of Alan Moore’s graphic novel, first published in 1986, “Watchmen” will explore the aftermath of Ozymandias’ grand plan and the now-risen cult of Rorschach.
Heroes are vindicated. The world has grown cold and face masks have become the norm. Police hide behind these masks, while a new threat emerges under the pretext of a hero long forgotten. Rorschach's example, along with his journal detailing the bitter humanity plaguing his reality, has now become a religion. As Rorschach himself says, "Nothing is hopeless. Not while there's life."
The newest trailer revealed the classic Owlship, nicknamed “Archie,” which belonged to Nite Owl in the original text. Adrian Veidt, or Ozymandias himself, returns and is played by Jeremy Irons.
Along with some of the old, new characters will appear, such as Regina King’s Angela Abar, a mean vigilante with a vengeance. Don Johnson plays an as of yet unnamed character, though judging by many of the trailers he appears to be police chief or some rendition of this nature.
With "Game of Thrones" long finished, and HBO through with fixing coffee cup mistakes, a new gritty and action-packed sci-fi show is necessary to fill that missing link. While Zach Snyder’s 2009 film of the same name may confuse newer fans, it’s clear that HBO has taken many strides in keeping to the original text. Images of a squid flash across the screen in various drawings, an aspect from the graphic novel that the film left out.
Set amid the Cold War, "Watchmen" was an unusual, though highly-rated comic book that personified this feeling of total dismay and destruction growing on the horizon. Though the film portrays it as an atomic explosion, in the graphic novel Adrian Veidt utilizes similar energies to Dr. Manhattan’s powers and teleports a giant squid into the bowels of New York City, thereby decimating the city and exiling Dr. Manhattan to Mars.
Where, as HBO’s newest trailer evokes so promisingly, he remains. What caught fans off-guard the most were the final few seconds, wherein a blue hand reaches down to examine a blue face mask, of which is meant to be a call-back to the late and great Dr. Manhattan. Has he returned to earth? Will he confront Ozymandias? And what does Roschach's new religious following mean to the plot?
Many and more questions will have to wait. While fans scour the trailers for clues as to the nature of this newest show, San Diego Comic Con still erupts in excitement and awe. Set for release later this year, “Watchmen” will beckon comic fans far and wide, while also eliciting a host of HBO’s more nuanced viewers. Prepare for Armageddon.